John O'Boyle/The Star-LedgerPolice use a metal detector to search for evidence in a fatal shooting on Adams Street in Elizabeth. Recent off-duty police officer shootings highlight the danger officers face while responding to threats when they are out of uniform, not carrying their radios, or not wearing their bulletproof vests.
The three Essex County law enforcement officers wounded in the last 12 days faced different situations when they were shot: one was driving to work, one was in a bar and the third was hit by friendly fire.

One detail, however, remained constant: All three were off-duty, highlighting the danger officers face while responding to threats when they are out of uniform and not carrying their radios or not wearing their bulletproof vests.

"All other things being equal, the fact that you’re not immediately recognizable as a police officer adds another layer of hazard," said Wayne Fisher, director of the Police Institute at Rutgers University.

The number of police officers shot while off-duty remains low, officials said. In 2008, just three of 41 law enforcement officers killed nationwide were off-duty at the time, according to FBI statistics. Although the state tracks shootings involving police officers, it does not record whether the officer was on- or off-duty.

The three shootings involving the Essex County officers underscore a dilemma only off-duty officers face: should they wait for assistance when confronted by a dangerous situation or should they act on their own?

On Wednesday morning, off-duty Newark Police Officer Jobani Dumeng was shot in the leg outside his girlfriend’s home in Elizabeth, apparently a victim of friendly fire, the Union County Prosecutor’s Office said Wednesday. Dumeng called police after hearing windows breaking on the street, then stepped outside and was struck.

The bullet was fired from the gun of an Elizabeth police officer, who was shooting at two suspects in a stolen car, the prosecutor’s office said.

Last Sunday, Essex County Sheriff’s Officer Lorenzo Zackery was shot in the abdomen during a Super Bowl party in a Newark go-go bar.

Zackery returned fire, killing the suspect.

On Jan. 30, Fairfield Police Officer Gerald Veneziano suffered multiple gunshot wounds after confronting the driver of a vehicle he believed had been following him.

Anthony Wieners, president of the New Jersey State Policemen’s Benevolent Association, said many towns require officers to carry their service weapons everywhere, and intervene if they see a crime being committed.

"If John Q. Citizen realized a police officer was there and didn’t act, I don’t think they would be that happy about that," he said.

But at the same time, off-duty officers must exercise greater caution before taking action, said Jon Shane, a former Newark police officer who now teaches at the John Jay College of Criminal Justice in Manhattan.

"I’d rather have a radio than a gun," he said. "I can call for the cavalry."

But what happens when the cavalry can’t get there fast enough?

Zackery, the sheriff’s officer, needed to act quickly after a 19-year-old man who was earlier denied entry into the Newark club, allegedly returned and fired one shot, hitting Zackery, the Essex County Prosecutor’s Office said.

The 22-year veteran officer chased the teen outside, firing his .40-caliber service weapon, killing the young man. Essex County Sheriff Armando Fontoura said the shooting was justified.

But Merrick Bobb, president of the Police Assessment Resource Center in Los Angeles, said it’s generally not a good idea for off-duty police officers to take action.

"The question is not whether they have the power to do so," he said. "The question is, is it wise to do so?"